Witchy Woman
by csivegasrocks
Summary: In response to the CSI Forever Online Halloween Challenge.


Halloween Challenge – CSI Forever Online

Witchy Woman

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! And guess what, I don't own the The Eagles either but I love their music and I am crediting them for the song. _

GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE

Vegas and Halloween. Those are two words that never go together well. While most of the country was busy celebrating with Trick or Treating, bobbing for apples, and costume parties, Las Vegas celebrated by loosing all touch with sanity. Whatever touch they had left that is.

The LVPD Crime Lab was busy as usual. Even the most tenured employees knew better than to ask for the night off. It was always "All hands on deck" on October 31.

To compensate, Gil Grissom, Supervisor of the CSI night shift, traditionally held a small Halloween party for his employees to help them relax after a hard night. This year was no different. Grissom, not usually taken to parties and frivolous holidays, had initially been coaxed into the party by his right hand, Catherine Willows.

Catherine, always the party girl, usually acted as hostess, but this Halloween, she was delayed on a complex case with Sara Sidle. The two women were the top of the CSI unit and, while they had their issues, usually worked effectively together.

The case that Catherine and Sara had been assigned to involved a man who had decided the best way to see the Sirens at Treasure Island was up close. Unfortunately, he had hidden himself so well, that when the area was cleared for the fireworks, he was missed. The fireworks, however, did not miss him.

David Ball, a 30 year old medical sales rep, was blown into many, many pieces. And worse, because his hiding place was under a replica pirate ship, many of those pieces were dispersed in the water.

Catherine and Sara spent over eight hours searching for evidence to explain what would make a smart man do something so crazy. As it turned out, David had gone to a Halloween party on the strip with some college buddies who had given him two hits of blotter acid. David had been convinced that he was a merman and that he could capture a siren by singing to her during the fireworks.

With the case finally being closed, the women decided it was time to clock out and relax with their friends at Grissom's home.

"What stinks?" Catherine asked Sara as they headed back to the lab in the LVPD Denali.

"Um," Sara said as she scrunched up her nose, "I think its us!"

They chuckled. Being in the not-so-clean water, near rapidly decomposing body parts, had taken its toll on their clothes.

Sara's phone chimed a notification that she had just received a text message from Greg. The message read; "Don't forget your costume."

"Catherine," she asked, "Were you aware that this was a costume party?"

Catherine smiled, "Yes, I suggested we do costumes this year, but I meant to go get one this evening."

"Kinda late now isn't it?" Sara asked. "I didn't know so I guess I am not going to go!"

"Well," Catherine smiled at her partner, "There's a costume place in the mall around the corner from the entrance to the Lab. It's late, they might have some stuff on sale. We can stop, change, burn these clothes and head to Grissom's."

Sara smiled. Not a real smile, but that kind of smile that Sara gave when she was intentionally not saying anything.

"Sara?" Catherine asked, "Sound good?"

"Yeah Catherine," she answered, teeth clenched, "Sounds good."

Sara had already told Grissom that she was not coming to any party in a costume. She didn't enjoy Halloween and had often participated in these parties just to spend some time with him. However, now that she had been seeing him on a semi-regular basis, she felt less inclined to want to share their private time with others. They got such a small amount of time alone together and she just didn't want to share. Especially at this time of the year when the lab was so busy. They both worked so many hours that a stolen few moments was about all they got.

Heck, it wasn't like they could go get lunch together. She hated the fact that she had fallen so hard for a man she wasn't supposed to have. But through all of the years that they had toyed with the idea of a relationship, she had been through tougher times than this, so she would go and persevere.

The women stopped at the costume store and quickly headed in different directions. Catherine was looking for a fun costume like a slinky sequined dancer's outfit while Sara looked for something less revealing. Like a Gorilla. Or a Ghost.

They met at the checkout, each carrying a bag. Based upon the faces of the clerks and other shoppers, they determined that a quick trip back to the lab was in order. They had to get the days smells off of them.

Back at the lab, the women went to opposite ends of the locker-room, showered, dried their hair, applied makeup and donned their costume.

"Sar, are you ready?" Catherine shouted.

Sara grimaced, she hated that nick-name.

"Yes, I'm ready, " she answered with a smile. Doing it for Grissom, doing it for Grissom, doing it for Grissom she kept repeating.

As the came around the opposite ends of the lockers, they stopped, took a long look up and down at each other's costumes and burst out laughing.

They had bought the same witches outfit. Same hat, same dress, same stockings, same bright red wig. The only difference was that Sara had on flats and Catherine wore her ever-present heels.

"Wow" Catherine said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Who would have ever thought that you and I would end up with the same costume!"

"There wasn't a whole lot left," Sara answered, wondering if the costume looked as good on her as it did on Catherine.

Too late to do anything about it, they got into their respective cars and drove to Grissom's townhome on the outskirts of town. They arrived at the same time and rang the doorbell.

"Trick or treat" Catherine yelled, "And by trick I mean a cocktail!" she said as she glided past Nick who was manning the door.

"Woo-hoo," Nick commented to Sara as she entered the townhouse, "You and Catherine taking this partner thing to a whole new level?"

Sara slugged Nick in the arm. Much like a brother to him, she knew his teasing was good-natured and that he was trying to make her feel better.

"I hate Halloween!" Sara responded.

"Hey Sara," Nick responded, "It could be worse, you could be back at Treasure Island!"

"Point taken," Sara answered, searching the crowd for her boyfriend, but trying not to be too obvious. "I'm going to go get a cup of tea."

"OK well I'm going to go watch Griss and Doc Robbins finish their poker game. Griss has wiped everyone else out as usual!"

Sara walked over to the kitchen, searching for her favorite cup and a bag of the Rooibos tea that Grissom kept on hand just for her. She figured she would use the restroom while the teakettle boiled.

As Nick approached the game, he saw Grissom reaching both arms into the middle of the table to sweep up all the chips.

"I will get you next year," Doc Robbins was saying to Grissom, shaking his head at his really good hand. "Only you could beat four aces!"

Grissom smiled, "Yes, Doc, next year you might beat me." He knew full well that next year would have the same outcome. He was hard to beat.

"Sara and Catherine finally arrived, " Nick announced to the crowd.

"Great," David Hodges said, "Now we can get the fun started." David had been in charge of the evening's festivities and had planned for an exciting round of Pictionary.

As the group gathered in the living room, Grissom excused himself to find Sara. He hadn't seen her all day and was looking forward to a moment of quiet with the only woman who could make this party worthwhile.

"Where's Sara?" he asked.

"She went to make a cup of tea," Nick answered, "But you won't recognize her! She's in a costume this year, looking like a very hot witch!"

Grissom walked around the corner and headed towards the kitchen, his step speeding up as he thought about the taste of her lips and the sweet smell of her lilac shampoo.

When he turned the corner, he was shocked to see no one in the kitchen. The kettle was on, slowly heating, and Sara's cup was on the counter, but no Sara.

He realized that she had probably gone to the pantry to get a new box of her favorite tea. He slipped into the pantry and, seeing the black hat and red wig, quickly recognized Nick's description of the hot witch. And heels too. What a nice touch, he thought.

He quietly stole up behind the witch and wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a sultry kiss on her neck.

"I can't wait till everyone else is gone!" he whispered.

And immediately, he felt the blood rush to his feet.

Catherine turned around, staring straight into his blue eyes, and asked "What did you just say Gil Grissom?"

Too late to recover, Grissom stood their, silent. He had been busted.

Catherine smiled a huge smile. "It's about time, Gil." She said. She knew how he felt about Sara and had suspected that there had been a connection between the two of them.

"Catherine," he said, clearing his throat, "I uh, well, thought you were someone else."

"God I hope so," she said, still grinning from ear to ear. She loved a good secret more than almost anything. "But don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you Catherine."

"No problem Grissom," she answered, "But next year, I win the poker pool."

GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE

I hope you enjoyed! Please join us on CSI Forever online. We'd love your company!


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